I shook my head, unsure of where this was going. “Of course not.”
She sat down at my desk, as I took my bed. “I heard about your accomplishments in the Academy today,” she said, before her smile widened slightly.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh?”
Nino nodded. “Grayson—your teacher—told me you’re far beyond what the Entry and even Moderates usually see. He recommended you for my Superior team.” She paused, then locked her stare with mine. “I’ve got one more spot available if you’re interested.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. “Wait—skip the Moderates completely?”
Nino shrugged, casual as ever. “It’s not going to do you any favors if you’re not being challenged. I need students who push themselves, who want to grow—and from what I’ve been told, you fit that mold.”
A huge grin spread across my face before I could stop it. “I’m in. Definitely in.”
Nino gave me a curt nod, with a spark of approval in her eyes. “Good. We start tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
After Nino left, I felt an overwhelming urge to tell James the news. I grabbed my Nexus, ready to share the excitement, but as my fingers hovered over the drops, I hesitated.
James was busy—extremely busy. He was preventing the failure of a project the whole world had been working on for almost two decades. He was preparing for an oncoming war. He’d made it clear this morning his time was scarce, and I didn’t want to add to his stress. Maybe it was better to wait until he reached out to me.
With a sigh, I translated my Nexus away, the uncertainty settling in. I convinced myself it was the right decision to wait for him to contact me.
But he never reached out.
And I had no one else to tell.
The next morning, I practically bounced down the hall toward my new class. The excitement was bubbling up inside me—I was finally going to meet other people my age, real peers, not the wide-eyed sixteen-year-olds who stared at me like I was some kind of diseased alien. Maybe I’d find my way into a new group of friends. Or even a “found family” like I read about in those fantasy books I was devouring lately.
I entered the training room and immediately noticed the shift in energy. The other students were older, sharper, focused. I could sense it in the air as they stretched and prepared.
It felt right.
Finding a spot to settle in, I quietly took in my new social group. This was it—finally. A group of people who would challenge me, who would push me to grow.
But as I stood there, stretching my arms and getting ready for the warm-up, I overheard a conversation behind me, a little too loud to be a coincidence.
“Isn’t she the one who got in by sleeping with James Walker?”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard. Guess being good at something paid off for her.”
My cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and humiliation. Hope of finding new friends crashed and burned in an instant, but before I could turn around and confront the whispering students, Nino strode into the classroom, her mere presence commanding instant silence. The room shifted, every gaze snapping forward as if her authority alone forced them into attention.
Nino had an aura—calm, controlled, and respected. It was clear no one dared challenge her, at least not to her face.
"All right," she said, her voice steady, cutting through the tension, “before we begin, I have a few announcements to make.”
Everyone sat up straighter, all attention firmly on Nino. My pulse quickened, and a knot formed in my stomach.What’s going on?
“First off, we have a change in the class structure,” she continued, scanning the room before settling briefly on me. “As of today, Emma Thompson will be joining our Superior team. Her skills have proven to be far beyond Entry or Moderate level.”
“Yeah, we know whatskillsshe’s talking about.” A girl behind me giggled. There was a ripple of murmurs, barely hushed whispers behind me, and I could sense their stares, scrutinizing, questioning, and, undoubtedly, judging.
Nino’s expression hardened. “I expect every one of you to treat her with the same respect you give each other. No exceptions. Am I clear?”
The room fell silent again. Nino gave a single nod, clearly satisfied. Which wasnowhereclose to my own state of mind.
“Next order of business,” Nino continued, her tone firm. “In light of the Great Exposure and the recent attack by the Radicals on Cyclos, the Council has decided to exceptionally reward Superior Offensives with a Skindo, as soon as their interface hits below the second.”
A collective gasp rippled through the room. A Skindo? Those personal weapons, designed to amplify energy and precision, were typically reserved for those who had already completed Advanced training or even graduated as Professionals. This was huge.
